An absolute instrument developed by K. Angstrom for the measurement of direct solar radiation. The radiation receiver station consists of two identical manganin strips whose temperatures are measured by attached thermocouples. One of the strips is shaded, ...

Automated Weather Observing Station. A self-contained weather station designed to make aviation weather observations without operator involvement.

Closed, curved, flexible tube of elliptic cross section which is deformed, according to type, by variations of atmosphere spheric pressure or temperature and so provides a measurement of the particular parameter.

A constant which describes the performance of a wind vane in response to a step change in wind direction. It is calculated from the relative amount of overshoot on two successive swings (half cycles) of a decaying oscillation. This specification is dimens ...

The difference between amounts of precipitation and runoff for a given storm. It is that portion of the precipitation that remains in the basin as soil moisture, surface storage, ground water, etc.

A system of estimating and reporting wind speed, originally based on the effect of various wind speeds on the amount of canvas that a full-rigged nineteenth century frigate could carry.

An inert gas. An element found in the atmosphere to the extent of only 0.000114 percent by volume. Its molecular weight is 83.7.

A psychrometer in which the ventilation is provided by a suction fan.

A thermometer. the sensitive element of which consists of two metal strips which have different coefficients of expansion and are brazed together. The distortions of the system in response to temperature variations are used as a measure of temperature. It ...

The frequency of a carrier wave.

A type of disk hardness-gauge, especially useful in relatively soft snow. See disk hardness gauge.

Apparatus using the combined simultaneous action of a bimetallic thermometer and a hair hygrometer to move a needle in front of a divided scale. fts construction permits dew point variations to be indicated approximately.

See Koschmieder's law.

The number of cycles per second between the limits of a frequency band.

An up slope wind due to local surface heating. Opposite of katabatic wind.

An instrument that automatically records pressure and temperature.

The downward flux of atmospheric radiation passing through a given level surface, usually taken as the earth's surface. This result of infrared (long-wave) absorption and reemission by the atmosphere is the principal factor in the greenhouse effect.

The pressure unit of the meter-ton-second system of physical units. equal to 10 millibars or 101 dynes per cm2.

A captive balloon used to maintain meteorological equipment aloft at approximately a constant height. The kytoon is streamlined and combines the aerodynamic properties of a balloon and a kite.

An instrument which records the duration of sunshine and gives a quantitative measure of the amount of sunshine by the action of the sun's rays upon blueprint paper. A type of sunshine recorder.